U.S. patent application number 11/579565 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-26 for glass handling systems.
Invention is credited to Ricardo Carlei.
Application Number | 20080150244 11/579565 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35241540 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080150244 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Carlei; Ricardo |
June 26, 2008 |
Glass Handling Systems
Abstract
A sheet handling device for handling large sheets of glass or
other sheet material, the device comprising a wheeled trolley
having an upright support shaft (2), a carriage movable along the
shaft (2) into a selected position, and at least two vacuum grips
mounted to the carriage to engage the sheet at positions displaced
in the height direction of the sheet. In another embodiment the
carriage is movable by operation of a winch. The trolley is
normally used in conjunction with a second like trolley so that the
vacuum grips of the two trolleys engage the sheet at spaced
positions along the length of the sheet. The two trolleys are
preferably interconnected by releasable bracing which can be stored
on the trolleys for ease of transportation. In a further embodiment
there is also disclosed a glass installation guide to facilitate
guidance of a large glass sheet into a frame during
installation.
Inventors: |
Carlei; Ricardo; (Victoria,
AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET, FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Family ID: |
35241540 |
Appl. No.: |
11/579565 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
May 5, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU05/00644 |
371 Date: |
August 24, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/35 ;
211/41.1; 211/41.14; 269/315; 280/47.17; 280/47.34; 414/572 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62B 2203/30 20130101;
B65G 2249/04 20130101; B65G 49/062 20130101; Y10S 414/13 20130101;
B65G 49/061 20130101; B62B 3/108 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/35 ; 269/315;
280/47.34; 211/41.1; 211/41.14; 280/47.17; 414/572 |
International
Class: |
B62B 3/04 20060101
B62B003/04; B65G 49/06 20060101 B65G049/06; B23Q 3/00 20060101
B23Q003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 5, 2004 |
AU |
2004-902390 |
Sep 7, 2004 |
AU |
2004905121 |
Claims
1. A sheet handling device for handling glass or other sheet
material, the device comprising a wheeled trolley having an upright
support shaft, a carriage moveable along the shaft into a selected
position, and at least two vacuum grips mounted to the carriage to
engage the sheet at positions displaced in the height direction of
the sheet.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a respective vacuum grip
is mounted at each end of an arm attached to the carriage.
3. A sheet handling device according to claim 2, wherein the arm is
mounted to the carriage for pivotal movement about an axis
perpendicular to the plane of a sheet carried by the vacuum
grips.
4. A sheet handling device according to claim 3, wherein the arm is
mounted to the carriage for pivotal movement about a generally
horizontal axis to accommodate a change in the orientation of the
plane of the sheet relative to the vertical.
5. A sheet handling device according to claim 4, wherein the arm is
mounted to the carriage by a pivot arrangement comprising a
horizontal pin which defines said horizontal axis and a resilient
bush mounted on the pin and which is deformable to permit pivotal
movement of the arm through a restricted angle about the axis
perpendicular to the plane of the sheet.
6. A sheet handling device according to claim 3, wherein the arm is
pivotal into a selected position about said axis.
7. A sheet handling device according to claim 6, wherein the arm is
selectively lockable against rotation about said axis.
8. A sheet handling device according to claim 6, wherein the
carriage carries an array of two such arms with associated vacuum
grips angularly displaced about said axis.
9. A sheet handling device according to claim 2, wherein the or
each at least one arm is displaceable relative to the carriage in
the direction of the said axis perpendicular to the plane of the
sheet.
10. A sheet handling device according to claim 1, wherein the
carriage is coupled to a winch cable for controlled movement
upwardly and downwardly along the shaft.
11. A sheet handling device according to claim 1, having a sheet
support at an upper end of the support shaft to provide support for
an upper part of the sheet.
12. A sheet handling device according to claim 11, wherein the
sheet support is moveable into a variable position beyond the upper
end of the support shaft.
13. A sheet handling device according to claim 12, wherein the
support is telescopically mounted within the support shaft and
includes a roller for engaging a rear face of the sheet.
14. A sheet handling system comprising a pair of sheet handling
devices according to claim 1 for engaging the sheet at positions
spaced along the length of the sheet.
15. A sheet handling system according to claim 14, wherein the
trolleys of the two devices are interconnected by bracing
struts.
16. A sheet handling system according to claim 15, wherein the
bracing struts comprise upper and lower bracing struts extending
substantially horizontally between the two trolleys, and a diagonal
bracing strut extending from an upper end of one of the trolleys to
a lower end of the other trolley.
17. A sheet handling system according to claim 16, wherein the
bracing struts are adjustable in length in order to locate the two
trolleys at a variable distance.
18. A sheet handling system according to claim 16, wherein each
bracing strut is releasably attachable to one of the trolleys and
when released from that trolley can be swung into a storage
position on the other trolley.
19. A sheet handling system according to claim 16, wherein the
diagonal bracing strut has means for extending its length by
rotation of a screw coupling while the bracing is in situ between
the two trolleys, and each of the struts is pivotally connected to
the two trolleys so that length extension of the diagonal brace
while in situ will result in the two trolleys inclining in a
parallel fashion.
20. A sheet handling system having a pair of sheet handling devices
according to claim 1 spaced so as to hold the sheet at different
positions along the length of the sheet, wherein the carriage of
each trolley is coupled to a winch cable for controlled movement
along the upright support shaft by operation of the winch, the
upright support shaft of each trolley is rearwardly inclined to the
vertical, and the carriage is releasably coupled to the upright
support shaft whereby when the carriages are disconnected from the
upright support shafts and the handling system is tilted forwardly
so that the upright support shafts of the two trolleys are inclined
forwardly relative to the vertical, the carriages with the vacuum
grips will hang freely on the winch cables.
21. A sheet handling system according to claim 14 modified in that
each carriage carries upper and lower brackets for holding a stack
of sheets in face to face relation.
22. A sheet handling system according to claim 21, wherein the
upper bracket is adjustable in height relative to the lower
bracket.
23. A sheet handling system comprising a pair of wheeled trolleys
each having an upright support shaft, a carriage moveable along
each shaft into a selected position, a bar extending substantially
horizontally between the two carriages, and at least two vacuum
grips mounted to the bar to engage the sheet at positions displaced
in the height direction of the sheet, the vacuum grips being
mounted on the bar for movement into a selected position along the
length of the bar.
24. A sheet handling device for handling glass or other sheet
material, the device comprising a wheeled trolley, and at least two
vacuum grips to engage the sheet at positions displaced in the
height direction of the sheet, the vacuum grips being mounted at
opposite end portions of a support arm attached to the trolley via
a lever system operable to raise and lower the arm and vacuum grips
relative to the trolley.
25. A glass installation guide comprising a guide plate for
clamping against an inside face of a glass-receiving channel in the
frame for engagement with the surface of the glass sheet to
facilitate its manipulation to the channel.
26. An installation guide according to claim 25 having a second
plate parallel to the guide plate and adapted to lie at the inside
of the frame, the second plate carrying at least one clamp for
clamping engagement with an internal face of the frame in order to
draw the guide plate against the inside face of the channel.
27. A glass installation guide system comprising a plurality of
guides according to claim 25, a respective said guide being mounted
adjacent a respective corner portions of the frame into which a
glass sheet is to be installed.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to systems for handling sheets
of glass or other sheets of relatively rigid and relatively smooth
materials such as metal, marble or plasterboard.
[0002] In our International patent application PCT/AU03/00882, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, there is
proposed a sheet handling device in the form of a wheeled trolley
for handling glass or other sheet material having vacuum grips
which are height-adjustable along an upright support shaft forming
part of the trolley (herein referred to as "a device of the type
described"). In one preferred construction, the height adjustment
along the upright support shaft is effected by means of a winch
built into the trolley. The principal version of the trolley
disclosed in our earlier application is intended for use with a
second like trolley for transporting and maneuvering relatively
large sheets of glass and other material.
[0003] The present invention concerns modifications or improvements
in the design of the trolley principally to provide greater
versatility over a range of possible uses.
[0004] Broadly speaking, the present invention in one aspect can be
said to comprise a sheet handling device of the type described
having one or more of the following features:
[0005] two or more vacuum grips mounted on a common carriage for
movement along the upright support shaft of the trolley;
[0006] one or more pairs of vacuum grips mounted for swinging
movement about an axis transverse to the axis of the upright
support shaft of the trolley by which the grips are carried;
[0007] an emergency brake system associated with a winch-driven
vacuum grip carriage for braking the carriage against the upright
support shaft in the event of winch or cable failure--the brake may
operate in response to loss in cable tension;
[0008] pivotal mounting of the upright support shaft within the
trolley for movement between a vertical and an inclined
position;
[0009] a trolley defined by a single upright support shaft
pivotally mounted at its lower end to a base--the base may be
foldable to lie alongside the shaft for storage purposes;
[0010] one or more pairs of vacuum grips mounted for rotational
movement whereby to change the orientation of the sheet carried
thereby;
[0011] a pair of trolleys interconnected by a horizontal bar
slidable along the upright support shafts of the trolleys and
vacuum grips carried by the bar and adjustable lengthwise along the
bar;
[0012] an extendable/retractable sheet support at an upper end of
the upright support shaft of the trolley;
[0013] adjustable bracing for releasably coupling two trolleys;
[0014] vacuum grips mounted to the trolley for universal pivotal
movement relative to the trolley;
[0015] a winch-driven vacuum grip carriage releasably detachable
from the trolley whereby the carriage is freely suspended by the
winch cable to facilitate manipulation of the sheet during
installation;
[0016] vacuum grips supported from the trolley via a lever arm
which can be pivoted to provide vertical movement of the vacuum
grips relative to the trolley;
[0017] trolleys interconnected by bracing for use in a factory
situation--one or more of the trolley wheels may be motor-driven;
and
[0018] the use of support brackets rather than vacuum grips to
facilitate transportation of a stack of sheets.
[0019] A sheet handling system consisting of two trolleys of the
type described for transporting a large sheet of glass can be used
to manoeuvre the sheet for installation into a frame. Even with a
large glass sheet, installation can be accomplished by only two
people in contrast to perhaps five or six people sometimes required
when installing large glass sheets using more traditional
installation techniques. In addition to the people needed to
manipulate the glass into the frame from the outside during
installation, it is sometimes necessary to have a person working
from the inside of the frame to prevent the glass sheet from being
pushed through the frame during installation. Another aspect of the
invention concerns a glass installation guide which can be used to
obviate the need for a person to work from the inside during
installation. When these guides are used in conjunction with the
glass handling system of the first aspect of the invention
significant savings in personnel can be achieved.
[0020] Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is
provided a glass installation guide comprising a guide plate for
clamping against the inside face of a glass-receiving channel in a
frame for engagement with the surface of the glass sheet to
facilitate its manipulation into the channel.
[0021] In a preferred form, the installation guide has a second
plate parallel to the guide plate and adapted to lie at the inside
of the frame, the second plate carrying at least one clamp, such as
a clamping screw, for clamping engagement with an internal face of
the frame in order to draw the guide plate against the inside face
of the channel.
[0022] In a typical installation situation, one such guide will be
mounted at each of the corner portions of the frame and possibly
also at an intermediate position along each of the uprights and
horizontal members of the frame.
[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of
example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trolley in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sections showing details of a
carriage and associated arm by which the vacuum grips are mounted
to the upright support shaft of the trolley;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing two trolleys of the
type shown in FIG. 1 interconnected by adjustable bracing;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the trolley and bracing
configuration shown in FIG. 4 to illustrate how adjustment in the
length of the diagonal brace can be used to tilt the two trolleys
to permit some lateral displacement of the sheet during
installation;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a modified form of
trolley;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of an alternative form of
trolley which is able to be used without the need for a second
trolley;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a perspective view from the front showing
schematically two trolleys with an alternative vacuum grip
configuration;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view showing schematically an
alternative configuration in which the vacuum grip carriages are
able to be detached from the upright support shaft of the trolleys
to permit the glass sheet to hang freely during installation;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view showing schematically an
alternative configuration for mounting the vacuum grips to the
trolleys;
[0033] FIGS. 11 and 12 are perspective views of a glass
installation guide;
[0034] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the installation guide; and
[0035] FIG. 14 is a view illustrating the manner in which the guide
is applied to a frame.
[0036] The following description initially details a range of
improvements/modifications in terms of a single trolley of the type
described in our earlier International patent application. While
just a single trolley is discussed, it is to be understood that in
most practical applications that single trolley will be used in
conjunction with a second like trolley in the manner described in
our earlier application so that the sheet of glass or other
material spans the two trolleys and is carried thereby.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a trolley in the form of a generally triangular
frame having at its front a rearwardly-inclined upright support
shaft 2 along which vacuum grips 4 are moveable, and a rear
substantially vertical shaft 6. A castor wheel 8 is mounted at the
lower end of the shafts 2, 6. The two vacuum grips 4 are at
opposite ends of an arm 10 which is mounted to a carriage 12
moveable along the shaft 2 under the control of a winch 14 mounted
to the rear shaft 6, with the winch cable 16 passing from the winch
upwardly over one or more pulleys at the top of the trolley and
then downwardly parallel to the front shaft 2 to be coupled with
the carriage 12.
[0038] The winch itself may be hand-driven (as shown, by winch
handle 14a) or motor driven. As an alternative to a motor-driven
winch, the cable may be carried by a motor driven cable reel, with
the cable path being otherwise as described for the winch
system.
[0039] The detailed construction of the carriage 12 is shown in
FIG. 2. The carriage 12 includes a cable pulley 18 around which the
cable 16 from the winch passes, the free end of the cable then
passing upwardly from the pulley 18 to be fastened to a suitable
anchorage adjacent the upper end of the front shaft 2. The carriage
12 is mounted to the front shaft 2 by rollers 20. The cable pulley
18 may be associated with a carriage brake which locks against the
front shaft in the absence of tension in the winch cable to prevent
accidental lowering of the carriage should the cable brake or
become disconnected. Normally, however, the brake is maintained in
an inactive state as a result of the tension in the cable. It is
however to be understood that such a brake is not essential and
indeed is unnecessary in many practical forms of the invention, but
may be incorporated if required.
[0040] With reference to FIG. 2 and also to FIG. 3, the grip arm 10
is mounted to the carriage 12 for pivotal movement about an axis O
for movement through a limited angle in a fore-aft direction as
indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2. This is desirable to permit a
degree of self adjustment particularly when the trolley is being
moved over relatively uneven ground, as will be later described. In
its stable condition of use, the arm 10 will be held parallel to
the front support shaft 2 by engagement with a resilient bearing
pad 22. The grip arm 10 is also mounted for swinging movement about
an axis O.sub.1 perpendicular to the axis O and thus perpendicular
to the plane of the sheet carried by the trolley; this swinging
movement is indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3. In the particular
embodiment shown this swinging movement is through a relatively
restricted angle. With specific reference to FIG. 3, the arm 10 is
mounted via flexible bushes 24 on a pivot shaft 26 the axis of
which defines the pivot axis O. The flexibility of the bushes 24
enables the swinging movement about the axis O.sub.1.
[0041] While this restricted swinging movement about axis O.sub.1
is sufficient for purposes subsequently to be described, in
alternative arrangements the grip arm 10 may be mounted for
somewhat more extensive swinging movement about the axis
O.sub.1.
[0042] The grip arm 10 carries at each end a mounting plate 26 to
which the respective vacuum grips 4 (not shown in FIG. 2) are
attached. Preferably, the two mounting plates 26 are each attached
to the arm 10 by a pivot mounting 28 which permit limited pivotal
movement of the plate 26 and hence of the vacuum grip carried
thereby about an axis parallel to the axis O.
[0043] As previously mentioned, the trolley just described is
normally used in conjunction with a second like trolley so that the
sheet of glass or other material spans the two trolleys and is
carried by the sets of grips of the two trolleys. It is
particularly preferred that the two trolleys are coupled by bracing
in order to provide greater rigidity and stability.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the bracing is of Z-form and consists of
an upper brace 40 pivotally attached at one end to one of the
trolleys, a lower brace 42 pivotally attached at one end to the
other trolley, and a diagonal brace 44 pivotally attached at one
end to one or other of the trolleys. Each brace 40, 42, 44 is of
telescopic construction so as to be adjustable in length and can be
locked to a selected length by a suitable clamp, for example using
an over-centre or toggle type action. The individual braces are
swung from stowed positions on the respective trolleys (shown
schematically in FIG. 1 for the brace 40) into an operative
position for connection to the other trolley, the length of the
brace is adjusted to suit the particular set-up, and then the brace
is secured to the other trolley preferably by a releasable pivotal
connection (to permit the action described in the following
paragraph) and locked in its extended length.
[0045] It is particularly preferred that the diagonal brace 44 has
facility for fine adjustment of its length while in situ. This can
be achieved by forming one of the two telescopic sections of the
brace in two parts interconnected by a left hand and right hand
threaded coupling so that by rotating the coupling in one direction
the effective length of that section and hence of the overall brace
can be extended in a gradual fashion. By extending the length of
the diagonal brace in this manner while a sheet is held by the
vacuum grips of the two trolleys, the assembly of the two trolleys
and bracing can be "lozenged" to provide a fine-controlled
horizontal displacement of the sheet in its own plane relative to
the wheels of the trolleys in order to facilitate accurate lateral
movement of the sheet during installation into one side of a frame.
The fine-control is achieved by rotating the coupling until the
required lateral displacement has been achieved. This effect is
shown schematically in FIG. 5.
[0046] It will be understood with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 that
when this lozenging takes place there is pivotal movement between
each trolley and its grip arm 10 about axis O.sub.1 so that the
grip arm remains vertical and the trolley is inclined to one side.
However the relative inclination between the grip arm and trolley
is not significant and is able to be accommodated by the resilience
of the flexible bushes 24.
[0047] Although it is preferred that the bracing is of adjustable
length in order to provide versatility in use, nevertheless in
alternative arrangements the bracing can be of fixed length to
provide a fixed spacing between the two trolleys although even in
that arrangement the diagonal brace can, to advantage, incorporate
the facility for the fine length adjustment to provide the
lozenging affect just described.
[0048] In a modified version, the grip arm 10 may be mounted to the
carriage 12 for swinging movement about the axis O.sub.1 so that
the arm 10 can pivot to any selected angular orientation. The arm
10 is releasably lockable to the carriage 12 in its vertical
orientation (the orientation shown in FIG. 1) and when the lock is
released the arm 10 is able to be swung about the axis O.sub.1.
This swinging movement of the arm 10 and hence of the vacuum grips
4 enables the orientation of the glass carried by two such trolleys
to be adjusted to a level position when the two trolleys are on
sloping ground. In this respect, if the two trolleys are on sloping
ground with one trolley at a higher level than the other and it is
required to move the sheet carried thereby into a horizontal
orientation, for example for installation purposes, the locks
holding the grip arms 10 on the two trolleys are released, and one
set of grips is then displaced upwardly or downwardly along the
associated trolley shaft 2 in order to bring the sheet into a
horizontal orientation. This is enabled by swinging movement of the
two pairs of grip arms relative to their associated carriages with
the lateral distance between the two trolleys automatically
changing to accommodate the swinging movement of the glass sheet
which takes place relative to the two trolleys. It is likely that
when used in this mode, the bracing would not be coupled between
the trolleys. While, to an extent this effect can also be achieved
with the mounting shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the degree of swinging
movement which is permitted in that version is more limited.
[0049] The range of movements described above provide for tilting
movement of the grip arm through a limited extent in all
directions. Accordingly, if the two trolleys carrying a sheet of
glass 10 move out of alignment during transportation as may occur
when moving over uneven ground, each arm and the grips carried
thereby will tend to self-adjust to conform to the general
planarity of the sheet to thereby avoid inducing a twist in the
sheet and which, if the sheet is relatively thin might, in some
circumstances, cause cracking of the sheet under the induced
twist.
[0050] In a further modified version, the arm 10 is mounted to the
carriage by a universal swivel joint which permits pivotal movement
of the arm 12 in all directions to accommodate the various forms of
adjustment previously described.
[0051] Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 the trolley has at the
upper end of the front shaft 2, a telescopic extension 48 slidable
in the front shaft 2 between a contracted position (as shown in
solid lines) and an extended position (shown in broken lines). The
extension 48 can be held in its extended position either by
friction forces or by a clamping screw carried by the front shaft
2. The extension 48 carries a support 50 for engaging an upper part
of the sheet to prevent excessive flexing of the sheet when
particularly large sheets (in a height direction) are being
carried. The support 50 preferably is in the form of a roller which
is mounted on an arm 52 pivoted to the extension for swinging
movement between an operative position in which the roller 50
projects forwardly to engage the rear face of the sheet (this is
the position shown in solid lines) and an inoperative position in
which it extends rearwardly (as shown in broken lines).
[0052] A sheet support 56 is provided at the lower end of the front
shaft 2, the support 56 being pivotal between an extended forward
position 56a (see FIG. 1) and a stowed position shown at 56b. In
its extended position, the support 56 is able to carry the weight
of the sheet. For added safety during transportation, when the
sheet has been attached to the vacuum grips 4, the grips 4 can be
lowered downwardly along the front shaft 2 by operation of the
winch to bring the lower edge of the sheet into contact with the
support 56 to provide added security in the event of failure of the
winch system or vacuum grips.
[0053] The rear shaft 6 of the trolley carries one or more handles
58 for maneuvering the trolley, for example for steering the
trolley or lifting the trolley for example during passage over
rough or bumpy surfaces. The trolley may also include a foot bar
(not shown) mounted to the rear shaft 6 at its lower end for
pivotal movement between an operative position in which it extends
laterally from the frame and a stored position. If the trolley is
tilted forwardly about its front wheel 8 to orientate the front
shaft 2 vertically for loading the sheet onto the trolley or for
installation of the sheet into a frame, foot pressure can then be
applied to the foot bar to easily swing the trolley back.
[0054] The mounting system for the grip arm 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and
3 will provide a degree of shock-absorbance between the trolley and
the sheet carried thereby when the trolley is moving along rough
ground. Further shock absorbance can be achieved if the two castor
wheels 8 are themselves mounted to the trolley frame via shock
absorbing mountings.
[0055] For installation of the glass into a frame the glass needs
to be orientated into a vertical position and this is achieved by
tipping the trolleys forwardly on their front wheels, and the glass
sheet can be moved into accurate alignment with the frame by
maneuvering the trolleys and adjusting the height of the sheet by
operation of the winches. Carefully controlled lateral movement to
introduce a side edge of the sheet into a channel at the side of
the frame can be achieved by rotating the threaded coupling to
extend the length of the diagonal brace to provide the "lozenging"
effect previously described. During some of the manipulation
required to install the sheet within the frame it may be desirable
for the trolley itself to be held in a fixed position and for this
purpose it is preferred that the front wheel 8 of the trolley is
able to be locked against rotation when required; a foot-activated
lock can be installed for this purpose.
[0056] In another modification to facilitate further manipulation
of the sheet during installation, the grip arms 10 are mounted to
the carriages 12 by a screw system which is rotatable to permit the
grip arm 10, and thereby the sheet held by the vacuum grips 4, to
be displaced forwardly relative to the front shaft 2 of the trolley
during installation, that is forwardly in the direction of axis
O.sub.1. The screw mounting will be hand-driven by a handle
projecting from the carriage 12 to permit easy operation by an
operator standing in the vicinity of the trolley. Relatively fine
and accurate adjustment can be achieved in this way.
[0057] In the version described thus far, the front support shaft 2
is rearwardly inclined and the trolley is tilted forwardly to
achieve vertical orientation of the sheet. In the version shown in
FIG. 6, the carriage 12 is moveable along a secondary support shaft
2a pivotally mounted at its lower end to the frame for movement
between a normal position in which it is rearwardly inclined, with
a releasable lock being provided to secure the secondary shaft in
that position, and a forward vertical position as shown in FIG. 6.
This movement of the secondary shaft 2a relative to the main frame
of the trolley can be effected either manually, or, as is
preferred, by a mechanical drive system between the main frame and
the secondary shaft. This arrangement not only facilitates loading
of the glass sheet onto the trolley from a vertical or near
vertical orientation but also unloading from the trolley,
particularly during an installation procedure in which the glass
needs to be maneuvered into a substantially vertical orientation,
while avoiding the need to tilt the trolley.
[0058] In FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 the bracing between the two trolleys is
shown in a form in which it can be releasably coupled between the
two trolleys and for some applications, depending on the size of
the sheet, may not be required to be used. This form of bracing is
principally designed for use in situations where the two trolleys
are transported individually such as on a small truck which also
carries sheets of glass for delivery to a customer so that the
trolleys can be used at the delivery site, For use in a factory
situation where it is not necessary to transport the two trolleys
individually, the two trolleys may be permanently coupled by
bracing such as Z-bracing of the form shown; in that case it may
not be necessary for the bracing to be adjustable in length
although such adjustability can be provided if needed. For use in a
factory situation where considerations as to trolley weight are not
so critical, the overall system may be power-driven for example by
driving one set of trolley wheels via a battery-powered drive motor
carried by that trolley. In that case the driven wheels would not
themselves be castor wheels, but non-driven castor wheels would
still be provided on the other trolley. It is however to be
understood that a power drive is not essential for a factory
situation and significant utility is envisaged for such a version
which is moved simply by manual operation.
[0059] FIG. 7 shows a version of the trolley with a single vertical
support shaft or mast 60 attached to a base which in the form shown
consists of three radial arms 62 having castor wheels 8. The mast
60 carries four vacuum grips 4 mounted on a single carriage 12 by
pairs of support arms 10. The arms 10 can be rotated about a
central horizontal axis O.sub.1 and can be locked in any selected
angular position to permit adjustment in sheet orientation relative
to the trolley. The mast 60 may be adjustable in inclination
relative to the base to facilitate attachment and retrieval of a
sheet from a truck or the like during loading. For ease of
transportation and stowage of the trolley when not in use, the arms
62 forming the base can be folded upwardly to lie adjacent the mast
46 and the two arms 10 carrying the vacuum grips 4 can be swung
into a contracted orientation in which the two arms and their
associated grips lie approximately side by side.
[0060] Movement of the carriage 12 along the mast 60 can be
achieved by a simple winch system or other mechanical adjustment
systems such as has been described in our earlier International
patent application.
[0061] This form of trolley is of particular value when it is
required to achieve a significant change in orientation of the
sheet from that in which it is picked up from one position such as
on a delivery truck to its orientation for its required usage, for
example a 90.degree. or even a 180.degree. change. It is envisaged
that this form of trolley will usually be used on its own rather
than in conjunction with a second trolley. This form of trolley
will also have utility for use on its own with smaller sized
sheets, and for applications where a change in sheet orientation is
not envisaged, the facility for rotation about the axis O.sub.1 can
be omitted.
[0062] Another version which can achieve the change in orientation
just described is shown highly schematically in FIG. 8 in which two
trolleys are coupled by a horizontal bar 66 which is able to move
along the front shaft 2 of the two trolleys for example using a
winch system as previously described or using other adjustment
systems as described in our earlier International patent
application. The rotatable arms 10 carrying the vacuum grips 4 are
mounted to a carriage 68 which is movable along the length of the
bar 66 whereby the orientation and lateral position of the sheet is
adjustable relative to the two trolleys.
[0063] In practice, it is preferred that the version of FIG. 8 is
used as an accessory in conjunction with two trolleys of the form
shown in FIG. 1. The bar 66 is releasably fastened at each end to
the grip carriages 12 of the two trolleys while the normal grips 4
are still present, and in that case the rotary array of grips
carried by the bar 66 will extend forwardly of the other grips.
Alternatively the vacuum grips and possibly their support arm 10
can be removed from one of the carriages 12 with their function
assumed during normal operation by displacing the rotary array of
grips shown in FIG. 8 to the corresponding end of the bar 66. When
the specialist operation of change in sheet orientation is
required, the rotary array of grips is then displaced into a more
central position between the two trolleys as generally illustrated
in FIG. 8.
[0064] FIG. 9 shows an arrangement in which the carriages 12 are
constructed so as to be releasable from the front shaft 2 during
use. If the two trolleys are then tilted forwardly (as actually
shown in FIG. 9), the glass sheet will hang vertically while freely
suspended by the winch cables 16. In this mode, the glass sheet
held by the vacuum grips 4 is thereby "floating" and this permits
easier manipulation of the glass for installation purposes.
[0065] FIG. 10 shows a version in which the arm 10 carrying the
vacuum grips 4 is mounted at the lower end of a lever arm 70
mounted by a pivot 72 to the top of the trolley frame for swinging
movement about a horizontal axis. An extension 70a of the lever arm
70 rearwardly of the pivot 72 provides a handle by which the lever
arm 70 can be swung and thereby manipulated. The arm 10 is
connected to the lower end of the lever arm 70 by a mounting 74
which is able to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to the
lever arm 70 to enable the arm 10 and the grips 4 carried thereby
to swing in a fore-aft direction. The arm 10 may itself be rigidly
fixed relative to the mounting 74 or can be pivotally mounted as
described in relation to its mounting on the carriage 12.
[0066] For transportation of the glass sheet, the mounting 74 will
be releasably retained to the front shaft 2. For loading of the
glass and for manipulation of the glass during unloading and
installation, the mounting 74 is released from the trolley and the
handles 64a are moved to manipulate the glass. This is a relatively
simple arrangement which provides the possibility only of limited
vertical movement of the glass during installation but there are
some situations where this limited movement is all that is
necessary. Accordingly this provides a lower-cost solution than
that involving the use of a winch or other system which provides
for extensive vertical adjustment during installation.
[0067] Thus far the invention has been described with reference to
the use of vacuum grips which will be present when single sheets
are being transported which is the principal intended use for this
invention. Each vacuum grip is actuated by manually operated vacuum
pump as described in our earlier application or by another
mechanical actuation system; alternatively an electrically driven
vacuum pump can be incorporated for that purpose. However the
invention also has applicability for the transportation of stacks
of sheets held upright in face-to-face relation. In that case
instead of vacuum grips, each trolley will carry individual upper
and lower brackets of angled form moveable along the front shaft so
that the upper and lower edges of the stack can be held captive
between the pairs of brackets. The stack can thereby also be raised
and lowered relative to the trolleys as required.
[0068] A trolley as previously described can be converted to
incorporate this facility by removing the vacuum grips from the
mounting plates 26 on the arm 10. A lower support bracket can be
mounted to the lower plate 26. An assembly consisting of a vertical
support post and upper bracket is attached to the upper mounting
plate 26. The upper bracket is slidably mounted on the support post
so that when the stack of sheets has been loaded onto the lower
bracket with the upper bracket in an elevated position, the upper
bracket can then be slid downwardly along the post to engage and
thereby retain the upper edges of the stack of sheets. It will be
understood that although an existing trolley can readily be
converted as just described, alternatively a trolley can be
supplied to a user just with the brackets when only that
application is required by the user.
[0069] Although certain of the modifications and improvements have
been described with reference to different versions of the trolley,
it is to be understood that most of these can actually be
incorporated into a single version of the trolley, if required.
[0070] FIGS. 11 to 13 show a glass installation guide and FIG. 14
shows the guide mounted to the window frame. This guide is not only
of benefit when installing glass by glass handling devices as
described herein but also it is of benefit when installing glass by
more traditional methods. The guide consists of a plate 80 which is
clamped to the inside face of the channel 82 in the frame into
which the glass is to be installed. By "inside" in this context is
meant that side which faces the direction in which the glass is
installed into the frame. The plate 80 has a substantial projection
from the frame and provides a substantial bearing surface against
which the inside surface of the glass will bear and thereby be
located so that the glass will be accurately aligned relative to
the channel 82 and can therefore be manipulated into the channel.
Typically, one such guide will be installed at each corner portion
of the frame and also at an intermediate position along each of the
upright and horizontal members of the frame. In this way, the
guides not only facilitate installation of the glass into the
frame, but also depending on the size of the glass sheet they can
enable installation to be performed by one person only. Using
conventional methods, installation normally requires two persons,
one manipulating the glass from the outside and the second working
from the inside to prevent the glass from being pushed through the
frame during installation.
[0071] The guide plate 80 is relatively thin so that even when it
is within the channel 82 the glass can still be inserted into the
channel and for this purpose the plate 80 is made from a suitable
metal such as stainless steel or aluminium. A thin layer of a
protective material to engage the surface of the glass sheet may be
applied to the outer surface of the plate 80. A second plate 84
parallel to the guide plate 80 and adapted to lie at the inside of
the window carries one, and preferably two clamping screws 86 by
which the guide can be clamped against the frame. As best shown in
FIG. 13, the two clamping screws 86 are adjacent two sides of the
plate at right angles one to the other, for use in a situation
where the guide is inserted into a corner portion of the frame in
which case both of the clamping screws 86 can be tightened to
secure the guide in position against the adjacent horizontal and
upright members, with the edges of the guide plate engaged the
channel of the two frame members. When the guide is located midway
along a horizontal or upright member of the frame, just one of the
clamping screws 86 will be tightened to secure the guide.
[0072] The two plates 80, 84 are interconnected by cross bracing.
As shown, both plates are made out of relatively thin metal sheet
and the cross bracing tends to rigidify the structure. In the
particular form shown, the cross bracing is itself formed from a
single folded metal sheet 90 of similar thickness and spot welded
to the inside surfaces of the two plates 80, 84. The bracing sheet
90 is, as shown, so shaped that a part 90a thereof has a large
surface area in contact with the inner surface of the guide plate
80 so as to add to the rigidity of the guide plate 80 in the
portion thereof which lies outside of the channel 82 in the window
frame. The bracing structure between the two plates 80, 84 could be
of other form to that shown; for example substantial rigidity could
be provided by increasing the thickness of the inside plate 84 with
the thinner guide plate 80 which fits into the channel 82 being
supported from the inner plate by transverse struts of sufficient
rigidity to provide a substantially rigid support for that
plate.
[0073] The sheet handling system using one, or more normally two,
of the trolleys described significantly facilitates handling of
large sheets and, in the case of glass sheets, their installation
into a frame such as may be incorporated in a shop front or
similar. Not only does it enable a significant reduction in
personnel costs it should also lead to a significant reduction in
work place injuries which are particularly prevalent in the glazing
industry.
[0074] The embodiments have been described by way of example only
and modifications are possible to the detailed arrangements
disclosed.
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